In The Background
by AMKelley
Summary: Adam is an up and coming photographer and Daniel is the somewhat experienced model doing a nude photo shoot for the first time.


Daniel is nervous to say the least.

He's done modeling plenty of times, for various magazines and causes, to the point where he's not as self-conscious as he could be but since he's eighteen now he has the option to do nude modeling. It's not that Daniel is ashamed or against exposing himself for a magazine, but it's more because he's going to be naked in front of a stranger. If there's one thing that keeps Daniel from taking off right now it's the fact that nude modeling pays more than what he normally does.

So far Daniel felt like he wasn't really making a good first impression with the photographer. He had shown up late to the secluded studio, looking like a fresh-faced poster boy for innocence, and Daniel thought of how insulting that must be to photographer. This guy must've taken thousands of photos of naked people all the time and here Daniel was, acting like it was his first big break in modeling. How embarrassing.

The photographer seemed nice enough though. He didn't look very put off by the fact that Daniel was late, so that was always a good sign. Most photographers would've packed up and left without batting an eye because it was up to the model to show up when they said they would but this guy was very laid back about, which was a breath of fresh air. That demeanor was able to put Daniel more at ease.

Daniel's agent made it a point to be present during the shoot so she could keep a watchful eye over him but Daniel requested to be alone. Seeing it in a magazine was one thing but having a ton of people watch you and make you nervous was another. If it was possible Daniel would do it all on his own, but that just wasn't a valid option. So Daniel was stuck alone with this guy, this Adam Faulkner-something-or-other, for however long he needed him.

"Hello, you must be Daniel," Adam greeted, sticking out his hand in a professional gesture.

"Uh, yes sir," Daniel said nervously, taking the man's hand politely. There was a brief flicker between them when their skin touched. "Sorry I was late. I really didn't-"

"Don't worry about it," Adam assured, letting go of Daniel's hands reluctantly. "I thought I was going to be the late one. I showed up just five minutes ago. Not very professional for my first big gig."

"Oh..." Daniel breaths out before he can stop himself. He blushes when he realizes that he may have offended Adam and quickly changes tactics. "I mean, I thought you were one of those more experienced guys that were too good for a spaz like me. You see... It's my first nude shoot and I'm a little nervous..."

"I promise to be gentle," Adam leans in close to whisper. Daniel is cute when he blushes softly and Adam would be damned if he didn't flirt a little. "Why don't you get undressed while I set up the tripod?"

It sounded like a request which was good because it didn't make Daniel feel pressured, even though he'd have to do it either way. Adam was polite though and that was able to ease Daniel into the whole scenario as he watched Adam go into his satchel to retrieve his camera.

Daniel turns around, away from Adam so that his back is to him, and he starts to shed his clothing piece by piece. Daniel pulls his shirt above his head and tosses it off to the far right. After he sits down on the bed, brought in for the the shoot, to take off his shoes and socks. He discards his jeans soon after.

Daniel's gone shirtless many times and he's done underwear as well in the past, so when he gets down to just his underwear he pauses. He's never gone this far before and it makes his hands tremble with adrenaline. He spares a glance back at Adam but he's too busing setting up his camera to notice him.

Adam pulls his tripod out of his bulkier bag and unfolds it into a prone upright position. He bends over to get his camera and sets it into place on the mount of the tripod, angling it to the right height. Luckily, there's only an inch difference between them so Adam doesn't have to work with a sasquatch that just towers over him.

The photographer can hear Daniel rustling as he takes off his clothes but Adam is too caught up in getting his camera up to snuff that he tunes it out altogether. He is looking through the lens and adjusting the focus to fit the lighting specifically, remembering all the things he was taught to pay attention to.

He's taken pictures before, sure, but it was mostly freelance stuff or minor projects to help him learn and get noticed a little more. Since this is his first major shoot Adam wants to make sure he goes through the whole checklist at least twice before he's ready. And when he does get finished adjusting his camera properly he looks up for the first time in five minutes.

Adam's face goes blank and his pupils dilate just a little when he looks up to find Daniel standing in the middle of the room completely naked. Daniel's arms lay limply at his sides, fighting every urge to cover himself up, and his face is burning from embarrassment. Adam is aware that he's gawking right now but he really can't help it.

It's not Adam's first time taking nude shots, he's done amateur stuff during college courses, and it won't be his last but this feels different somehow. They're both alone with just each other, a camera, and a bed. The atmosphere is so close and the situation is supposed to be as professional as possible, but neither can help but realize how intimate this feels.

Daniel is breath taking. When Adam first saw the young man walk in he thought that it would be a breeze but he never took into account how Daniel might look underneath his clothes. Daniel wasn't really anything "special" so to speak, he was quite ordinary in his looks, but that's what made Adam transfixed by Daniel.

Daniel wasn't tall and gorgeous or even flawless like most models appear to be, but that only made Adam's pulse race even more. Daniel was just... Typical. He was pale, short, and not really defined physically but to Adam that was more attractive than stick thin mannequins and muscle heads. Daniel was just himself and didn't worry about his hair being perfect or being tan. The young man was in perfect proportion. He was realistic.

"How do you want me?"

The question rings and echoes deep into Adam's mind as he tries to shake himself from his reverie. He knows what Daniel means but he can't not think of what it could mean in his filthy mind. He swallows thickly past his desert dry throat.

"Um... Just..." Adam stammers, feeling a little bit flustered and trying to find his bearings. "Let's start on the bed."

Daniel nods once and complies with Adam direction, sitting down on the bed and getting into the pose Adam instructs him to do. Daniel is poised on the bed with his legs off to one side and the sheet pooled around his waist, leaving little to the imagination. Adam adjust his camera, holding his breath and letting it out slowly to calm his nerves as he snaps the first photo. That was easy, he thinks triumphantly.

Adam gives Daniel a thumbs up and it makes the younger man giddy with adrenaline and excitement. Daniel gets into the next pose Adam has for him. As Daniel is being directed into a position on his stomach with the sheet revealing just a little, he realizes how Adam's job must be so much more difficult. Daniel is purely a mannequin that Adam has to shape a certain way. Adam is the one doing all the hard work, telling Daniel how he needs to pose and how he should look for particular shots. It's really all Adam's vision that makes a photo.

"Is this right?" Daniel asks when he's in position. He's sure he's got it right like Adam told him but something makes him want Adam to come closer and correct his mistakes.

"Mostly. Let me just..." Adam trails off, stepping out from behind his lens to walk over towards Daniel. He kneels at the foot of the bed where Daniel is laying and reaches out to cup Daniel's face. "You need your face turned upward a little more, towards the light so it's more prominent. We don't want any shadows obscuring your smile."

"Like people are going to be looking at my face," Daniel pokes sarcastically, knowing the true meaning behind risqué photos.

"A body is nothing without a strong facial expression," Adam tells him, not exactly meaning to murmur or linger with his touch. He pulls away when Daniel is posed right. "If it's any consolation I think you're handsome in every aspect of the word."

"Uh, thanks," Daniel says, blushing profusely at Adam's straight-forwardness.

It makes him oddly flattered and maybe a little worried since they're all alone. But Adam only touches him when and where he needs to. Adam doesn't touch him inappropriately and if Adam needs to touch somewhere that would be crossing the line he asks Daniel for permission first. Always. It's Adam's first big shoot and Daniel is proud to say that Adam's handling it like a pro.

Adam snaps the second photo.

There's going to be mistakes and faulty shots here and there, on account of nerves, but Adam is confident that his first run is going well and Daniel is also a great model. The vibe is just so fluid and natural for both of them because it's their first time doing something new. It's definitely a great way to explore their strengths and weaknesses.

The poses get more intricate and bold, Daniel showing more and more skin until the sheet just seems to disappear entirely, as Adam snaps away. At one point Adam takes his camera off of the tripod to do more close ups and angled shots of Daniel's face and body. Though, Adam likes taking photos of Daniel's face the most.

His naturally curly hair frames his pale face perfectly, bringing out his bone structure. If Daniel's agent and handlers had been here they would've been all over him trying to cover up his imperfections with make up. Namely, the prominent dark circles under his eyes that seem to add more depth into his icy irises. Adam would die defending Daniel's natural appearance before anyone mask his face in make up.

Adam is getting closer to Daniel as the shoot progresses, switching off to hand-held shooting rather than tripod. Adam wasn't given any particular guidelines of what type of photos the sponsor wanted so he pretty much did what he did best. He freelanced it, taking photos that appealed to him as a photographer.

Adam focused of Daniel's face with glimpses of exposed skin here and there in the background. They tried silhouettes with shadows along his body and hand placement in intimate areas. Adam would pose him innocently and sometimes Daniel would take control and pose seductively as if trying to impress Adam. And maybe he was?

Soon things started to get adventurous and whatever was happening between them became a push and pull of each other's boundaries. Daniel wasn't very nervous as he was before and he started getting bolder, exposing his whole body to Adam and his camera with reckless abandon. And all Adam could do was hide behind his camera and restrain himself from jumping Daniel.

His fingers started to fumble and get lazy with their movements and Adam's pulse had picked up exponentially. It no longer felt like Daniel was modeling for some magazine but for Adam's eyes only. Daniel was going the extra mile just for Adam and his camera, looking far more provocative than what was expected, but Adam wasn't complaining.

Daniel was biting his lip, tangling hands in his hair, and parting his mouth in an imitation of panting. He would lay down and stretch his body against the soft blankets as if he were in the throws of passion, clawing at the mattress wantonly. It made Adam wonder what Daniel would look like if it was real and not just for show.

Adam mused for a moment that it almost felt like Daniel was posing for a playgirl magazine, but despite how risqué Daniel would pose it was still undeniably classy. Daniel was tame and didn't over exaggerate his appearance. This was solely to tease and seduce the audience with natural beauty and talent.

Daniel was on his knees in tangled sheets and blankets, running a hand down the length of his body as Adam took continuous shots that captured each movement. Daniel's hair was a mess and his face was flushed from the pure sexual energy radiating off the both of them. They could both feel it in the space between them. Denying it would be pointless.

"I think we got some pretty good shots," Adam tells the younger man with confidence, smiling bashfully.

The fact that Adam said "we" instead of "I" made Daniel's heart race even more.

"You think?" Daniel inquires rhetorically, beaming back at Adam. Somehow he has inched nearer to the foot of the bed where Adam stands, clutching his precious camera to his chest. "Maybe we could take a few more sometime? In private. Well... I mean, when we're not working. We could... practice."

Daniel reaches out to run a hand along Adam's arm seductively, grinning like a cheshire cat. Adam swallows, trying not to focus on how much Daniel's hip bones stick out or how badly he wants to suck bruises into that pale skin. The only thing that keeps him afloat is the fact that he's a professional now, more or less. Deflowering a barely legal model after a photo shoot doesn't look good on a resume after all.

"Um, yeah," Adam agrees belatedly, nodding his head hurriedly as if the offer will magically disappear if he doesn't respond fast enough. "We could definitely do that. How's next week?"

"Great," Daniel replies simply, biting his bottom lip in anticipation. He places his hand against Adam's tentatively and they both know they're about five seconds away from kissing...

"Well, I think that wraps up our shoot for today," Adam whispers hopefully, letting Daniel's hand fall from his. Daniel stares up at him blankly with those icy blue eyes. "You did great today, Daniel. It was a pleasure having you as my first subject for my portfolio."

"Ooo," Daniel purrs seductively, crawling off the bed to collect his clothes. "You know how to flatter a boy, Mr.-"

"Adam," the photographer corrects matter-of-factly. "Just call me Adam."

"Adam," Daniel echoes thoughtfully, smiling faintly to himself as he pulled his clothes back on while Adam put his camera and tripod away.

Adam was bent over his bags, putting things away in the appropriate places when a shadow cast over him. He stood up and turned around, being nearly tackled to the ground when Daniel gave him a big warm hug. Adam was just glad Daniel had his clothes back on or else that'd be really awkward for both of them. Adam wasn't sure if he'd be able to control himself if Daniel was still naked.

"It was a pleasure to be your first," Daniel said warmly, winking with a click of his teeth before tuning to leave. He stops in the doorway long enough to say, "I look forward to our little... arrangement, Adam."

And Adam is left standing alone in the studio with nothing but the photos he's taken of Daniel to keep him busy until then.


End file.
